Chimney bees in need of advice.

[abm]

Ok, this is my third extraction and all 3 were messy.

I'm trying to fabricate some form of spade to slither down each comb and recover without breaking up. My last try, was like trying to pick up a section of butter, and it simply dissolved as I tried to pull out the stack.

My only "disability" is...... I only have 1 arm, so ..............





entry point.....



capping off...





the only 2 frames saved, the main one with brood and poss queen, fell down the stack...



comb removed.... bee vac at the ready.





all sealed.



so I have till this Friday to try to fabricate a device to help me contain comb ready for each frame.

thanks all..... hope you enjoyed the images.

 

[mintmoth]

Absolutely amazing pictures, abm!

 

[Salamagundy]

Absolutely amazing pictures, abm!

Brilliant, abm!

 

[abm]

Down the stack before sealing..... these few stragglers were just out of reach....



this image was 4 year ago.... now you see why I struggle to simply remove.



oh and its too easy to ask for help. !!!!!!!!!!

 

[La Folie]

I am so impressed. My standard advice to bees in the chimney is to light the fire. Awesome

 

[abm]

I would have said that bees wouldn't use an open chimney, however I've to go view / quote for exactly this next week, after the client hasn't used the fireplace all year, now the temp has dropped she lit a fire to be "smoked out"... lol

our survey says........ honeys in chimney.

 

[Bee Bumble]

Well done, great job. Must have been a struggle for you.

 

[mintmoth]

This may be totally stupid, so feel free to laugh, but would something like hamburger tongs work? Maybe with bigger ends?

 

[Dishmop]

Something that pokes thro between the comb and then opens like an umbrella perhaps...or a sweps brush from the bottom to push them out...

 

[abm]

thanks all.. the tongs would simply squish, and I'd need to cut the comb whilst squishing.. thanks tho'

the umbrella raises my eyebrouse'...... this would simply catch all, whilst I fathom out how to secure while cutting the comb from the walls, but in theory this could work. I would need to remove all in 1 go then separate once out the void.

I like it'... thanks. I just now need to fathom a way past the no space zone... lol

oh I forgot to mention, the stack is to be removed completely .. once the hazard is removed... builders, aren't the just big girls.

oh and another point - if this were easy, the window cleaners would all be doing it... lol

 

[derekm]

Here is an idea that gets the bees to work on it.


1) make a loose fitting rough wooden plug that will fit down to on to the comb. make the gap tround the plug wide enough for a strip of metal that you will use later to cut the comb from the side of chimney pipe. Make attachments/handle to the the top side of the plug strong enough that you can haul the weight of a full colony up.

2)attach on wire a piece/s of roughed plywod/ wood that will push down between some of the comb.

3) lightly damage the top of the combs.

4) slide the plug into the chimney making sure the attachment go down between the combs. and the plug makes contact with the combtops

5) if possible put fondant on the top of the plug and fit a top cover.


6) wait a couple of weeks for the bees to make repairs and new wax.


7) Remove cover the attach hoist/rope etc from the wooden plug to te scaffolding

8) use a long thin piece of metal to cut the comb from the chiminey around the gap at te edge of the wooden plug.


9) Gently lift out the plug and attached comb and colony


Fundamentally its get the bees to attach their colony to the lifting plug and then cut their attachments to the chiminey and lift the plug and the colony all in one go

 

[abm]

Thats simply an amazing idea, certainly 1 to bank.

This work has to be done this weekend though so i'm either going to try my plan B, or even plan C which is to partly take the stack side bricks away to expose comb, from there i can manipulate.... (weather permitting).

 

[derekm]

Thats simply an amazing idea, certainly 1 to bank.

This work has to be done this weekend though so i'm either going to try my plan B, or even plan C which is to partly take the stack side bricks away to expose comb, from there i can manipulate.... (weather permitting).

When it gets reseal make sure they put a wooden cap with wooden pole pointing down the chiminey . to make the next colony extraction easier

 

[abm]

the stack is being completely removed to below the tiles, so there should be no residue to attract.

ironically, i have 2 hives not 1/4 mile away, but all mine are present and accounted for... lol

 

[mintmoth]

Do you actually need to save the comb? Can't you just make a space big enough to suck up all the bees with the bee vac, then just remove the comb in whatever chunks you can? It would be more like collecting a swarm rather than a colony.

 

[Torq]

Been there!
http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30432

The ones I rescued are working away in a poly nuc.